This marker is located in the town of River Falls, Ala., on the south side of U.S. Highway 84, which is called River Falls Street within the town limits. The marker is a short distance east of where Heath Road intersects with U.S. 84. GPS coordinates for the marker are N 31° 20.636 W 086° 31.491. Green “Historical Marker 1500 Feet” signs east and west of the marker will let you know that you’re getting close.
The marker has text on both sides, but both sides are identical. What follows is the complete text from the marker, which was erected by the Alabama Historical Association in 2005.
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“MONTEZUMA: On December 18, 1821, the Alabama General Assembly appointed Covington County commissioners William Carter Jr., James R. Mobley, Aaron Lockhart, Henry Jones and Abel Polk ‘to fix and designate a suitable place for a seat of Justice, and to contract for, and superintend the erection of such public buildings’ as necessary for the use of the county. Originally known as Covington Court House, the county seat was named Montezuma by 1824 and was located on the banks of the Conecuh River near this site. Due to repeated flooding, the seat of justice was moved to present day Andalusia in 1844 and Montezuma was eventually abandoned. Alabama Historical Association 2005.”
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Even though the marker is located with the present-day confines of River Falls, Montezuma is considered a ghost town because it basically dried up and blew away when the county seat moved a short distance away to Andalusia. In that respect, Montezuma has a lot in common with Claiborne, another ghost town that was located on the banks of the Alabama River at Claiborne. Today, even River Falls remains a relatively small town with a little over 600 residents.
The Town of River Falls was named after a waterfall on the Conecuh River. Interestingly, the Conecuh River doesn’t even pass through Conecuh County, but a good portion of this lengthy waterway does pass through Covington County. As noted on the marker, repeated flooding of the river led to a lot of property damage in the 1840s as well as a yellow fever outbreak.
At that time, the county seat was moved to the highest point the area to escape the repeated floods. This spot turned out to be the main square in what is today Andalusia. By Alabama standards, Andalusia, which was incorporated in 1884, is a sizeable town with around 8,700 residents. It’s probably most famous for the World Championship Domino Tournament, which is held annually in Andalusia. It’s also famous for being the hometown of pro basketball player Robert Horry.
In the end, visit this site next Wednesday to learn about another historical marker. I’m also taking suggestions from the reading audience, so if you know of an interesting historical marker that you’d like me to feature, let me know in the comments section below.
I'm a descendant of this Henry Jones. Were you able to uncover any of the history of the town?
ReplyDeleteYears ago I hunted this area with permission of the land owner a Dr.Gantt. I came across very old buildings that had old wood shutters for windows whose only inhabitants were squirrels,possums, and raccoons
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